Irene just left. For no reason, at that. Was it because he was talking about 4Kids? Was Irene such an anime purist that she just couldn’t handle the mere mention of 4Kids? So many questions. Part to do with some of the choices 4Kids made when dubbing One Piece but mostly to do with Irene’s sudden exit. Danny left, too. Jerk. The bye was to both of them, mostly to Irene though. Why did they just suddenly leave him? Did he smell or something? He checked his armpits. No, not too bad. The deodorant was starting to wear off on him but he couldn’t smell the sweat much. Since it didn’t seem to be his smell he wasn’t sure what it was, then. Maybe next time they met he’d ask why.

…

It just occurred to him that this could possibly be the last time he ever saw the either of them alive. The image of Irene prancing away into the distance and the image of Danny… just bolting could be the last image Jeremy had of them. It felt odd. In a way. He could deal with never being able to see Danny again but Irene was a friend. Not a close one but someone he had fun with back then. It’d be weird, never being able to see or talk to her again. It was still something he could deal with, but he didn’t know. Something to think of, at the very least.

So he stood there, at the beach, for a while. He had stopped thinking about it a while ago - his mind had now moved on to other subjects - but he still hadn’t moved. Part of him didn’t want to, really. If he moved he would be not here and there weren’t guns and people and the fear of death here. It was like… waking up, in a way. That metaphor worked. It was like when his alarm went off on a school day. He could just turn his alarm off if he wished and just kinda pretend that he could stay where it was warm and where it was comfy forever. He’d like that. He’d like to stay here and be safe, even for just that little bit longer.

Still though, best to not stay here for too long. Time moved whether he liked it or not, and it was bound that this beach wouldn’t be as safe and calming as it is now. Back then he had to get out of his bed, and now he had to actually put himself into potential danger, regardless of whether he wanted it to or not.

So, he looked around. Behind the beach; not at the sea but further into the land. There was a tower, looming over him.